The seven defendants in the Beaumont political corruption case, in the front row are Francis Dennis Coe Jr., Joseph Sandy Aklufi, William Kevin Aylward, Ernest Alois Egger, Deepak Moorjani, David Willliam Dillon, and Alan Charles Kapanicas, left to right, in the back row are attorneys Melissa Meister, James Taylor and Virginia Blumenthal, left to right, prior court proceedings in Dept. 52 of Riverside Superior Court on Friday. (Kurt Miller – Staff Photographer)

By David Danelski and and Gail Wesson, The Press-Enterprise Posted: 08/19/16 – 11:20 PM PDT |

The seven former Beaumont city officials charged in May with 94 felony corruption counts, including embezzlement and misappropriation of public funds, each pleaded not guilty to all charges against them Friday.

Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin talks about the Beaumont investigation during an interview with The Press-Enterprise in his office in Riverside on Monday. (Stan Lim — Staff Photographer)

After laying out documents from hundreds of boxes seized from Beaumont City Hall and other locations during raids in April 2015, members of the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office’s Public Integrity Unit began the task of poring over the papers, looking for evidence of corruption.

With $122.5 million in possible fines and restitution in the Beaumont corruption case, prosecutors are trying to secure the homes and bank accounts of some defendants — former top city officials charged with embezzlement and misappropriation of funds.

In April 2015, anti-corruption investigators from the FBI and the Riverside County District Attorney’s office raided Beaumont City Hall and other locations.

The investigation led to seven former city officials facing charges of embezzlement, misappropriation of funds, conspiracy and conflict of interest, which Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin announced in a press conference on Tuesday, May 17.

The Lou Desmond and Company Show is coming to you from the Toyota of San Bernardino Recording Studios!

Tonight on the show, Jay Prag joins the show. Up first, air tankers battling a fire near Yucaipa were forced to halt operations because of drone. Then, Beaumont spent money without proper documentation on just about everything.

The move comes in the wake of major issues facing the city, including an FBI raid and a review from the state Controller’s office.

Published: May 29, 2015 – Updated: 10:48 p.m.

Beaumont City Manager Alan Kapanicas was placed on administrative leave during a special meeting Friday night, May 29, in the wake of three major issues facing the city — including a raid on City Hall by the FBI.

BEAUMONT >> State Controller Betty T. Yee on Tuesday announced her office was launching an investigation into the financial practices and reporting of this city of 42,000 to resolve “significant differences” between the city’s financial reporting and its audited statements.

Tonight on the show, Lou is joined by Adrian Moore from the Reason Foundation. They talk about the $50 MILLION discrepancy in the city’s financial paperwork. How does a city recover from something like that?

BEAUMONT >> Federal and Riverside County authorities on Wednesday raided City Hall and three other locations across the Inland Empire in an investigation into the city’s long-standing business relationship with a local consulting firm, law enforcement and city officials said.

Medical marijuana collectives and cooperatives will be prohibited in Beaumont if a proposed ordinance is adopted by the City Council.

The ordinance, which is on the agenda for Tuesday’s Beaumont City Council meeting, also would allow the city to regulate the establishment of collectives and cooperatives if the courts determine it is unconstitutional to ban them.

Anti-incumbent sentiments that reverberated across the nation on Election Day weren’t as strong locally, but still present as mayors and city council members in several cities across the region were unseated by challengers.

Budget deficits, high utility bills and joblessness weighed on the minds of voters as they headed to the polls Tuesday to decide on what course is best for their respective cities.

Just five city managers in California — and only one in the Inland area — earned more than Temecula City Manager Shawn Nelson in 2009, according to a survey.

Nelson, 51, earned $336,288 last year, an amount that includes his base salary, deferred compensation and other payouts, according to the survey released last month by the League of California Cities, an advocacy group for cities and towns. Nelson’s base pay is $291,571 a year, according to Temecula.

BEAUMONT – A single medical marijuana dispensary is operating in violation of a moratorium in the city, and the General Fund grows by $1,000 every day it stays in business.

The City Council passed a moratorium in May 2009 on nonprofit medical marijuana cooperatives and collectives designed to operate exclusive circuits of marijuana cultivation and consumption with no purchase or sales to or from nonmembers.